It Ended Her Way
by Allis Nighte
Summary: Post Game. Everyone knows that Tifa loved Cloud, and Cloud loved Aeris. What happened to them and where does Reno fit into this picture? The answers may not be quite what you expect. (r/r please!)
1. For Years Later...

Chapter One

Cloud didn't bother to open the car door, he simply hopped over it, landing in the seat of his convertible perfectly. He had just gotten that car about a month ago, so it was still shiny yellow. Ironically, it was almost the same colour of his hair. It had a black interior that matched the pinstripe down the side of it. In his car, Cloud Strife looked like a million bucks. 

He sure didn't feel like it.

He didn't quite know where he was going that day. He never really did. But he enjoyed just riding down the back roads, where barely any cars drove, letting himself get caught up in the sound of the wind blowing past, warm sun beaming down on him. His skin always tanned from doing this, so perfectly, a perfect shade of gold. 

It was an almost flawless day today. Hot, but not humid; Cloud's hair would remain just right. There was just the smallest breeze, and only a few white puffy clouds dared to stay up in that endless blue sky that was just beginning to turn red in some spots from the setting sun. He took off his shirt and threw the tight black T-shirt in the backseat. 

No one was on the road. There was a speed limit, but he went over it, knowing that not a soul would know or care. He was in total bliss when he hit 70. Driving alone like this...it was the only time he was ever happy. 

After a few minutes of only mother nature's music around him, he turned on the radio. The first song that came on was ending, thankfully. Cloud was in no mood to listen to some pop group made up of guys pushing 30 masquerading as boys, singing about puppy love and breakups. _Such a lie... Love doesn't really work that way..._he thought.

It wasn't to say that Cloud had gotten over Aeris. No, it was impossible to do that. No matter how hard he had tried, she was still there in his heart. The love, the pain...it would never go away. The wounds would never completely heal. But Cloud could bandage them well enough to push through another day. 

The next song began, and cloud turned it up. It was a rock song from a few years ago. Cloud knew it by heart, and began belting out the words. It was over too soon, and Cloud was left with a rap song. He turned off the radio. That was the reason he never listened to it. One in a hundred times would a good song come on. 

He relaxed, careful not to get too comfy. The last time that had happened, well, it was the reason he had this new car. 

Before he knew it, he had been driving for wat over an hour. He should have turned around and headed home. He would not have himself falling asleep in the car again. But he drove, not knowing to where, but he knew he would arrive.

It had been four years. For the first two years, Cloud had done nothing but mope around. He didn't see how he could survive with out Aeris. Tifa had stayed. She stayed with him as long as she could. 

She had had a hard enough time trying to not kill herself in between stopping Cloud's own suicide attempts. It had driven her crazy, hearing him talk about that girl. It was fine to be sad. Despite the fact that they were rivals for Cloud's affection, her and Aeris had become like sisters. It's damaging to loose someone that close. But Cloud took that blow too hard. Tifa tried to cheer him up, but he was convinced that life without Aeris Gainsborough was impossible. 

And in the end, it was Tifa that left Cloud. She couldn't help him. Only he could help himself. Maybe if he could get it through his thick skull that there were people that cared about him here on earth, maybe he could have _done_ something with that pitiful thing he called his life. 

__

Tifa locked the door behind her when she left her house. Nothing had been done to restore Midgar, which was where she would have preferred to live now. Piles of debris still filled the cracked streets, and dust still clouded the air. The Shin-Ra building still stood, but its glory was stripped away. It was less than half there, only going to about the 30th floor. Some of the floors were still inhabitable, with wreckage pushed away making a less than adequate living space. It was sad how many lived there. 

But among the ruins were only the hopelessly poor or thieves and gangs. Tifa was neither of those.

Tifa Lockhart had done something with her life. She was free of Cloud, and doing well. 

She was happy. 

"Hey Marlene!" she exclaimed when the little girl walked into the front door of Tifa's bar. She couldn't change the name from 7th Heaven just because it moved to a new town. "Marlene, if you came here with Reno, I will kill him. I will _kill_ him." 

Marlene giggled, pulling her shoulder length, dark brown hair from her ponytail. "Reno is not driving drunk....yet. Don't worry, Auntie Tiff, you worry too much." 

Tifa wondered if she did worry too much, and if she was getting too much like an "annoying grown-up." _Only when Reno is involved_, she thought, and laughed at herself. And then he walked in. 

"Alright, the party has arrived!" Reno exclaimed, pulling up his sunglasses to rest in his hair wild red. His trademark look. His blue button down shirt was hanging loosely over his white T-shirt. He still looked like a TURK. 

"Hey, Reno," she spoke slowly, not wanting to sound excited to see him. It usually didn't work.

"Babe," he said, flirting with her. That would last, oh, about 15 or less seconds before he spotted lovely, delicate Linda-Faye. And she stepped into his vision, a tall, long legged blonde. And it was only a matter of minutes, unless Linda-Faye would go home with him that night, that he would find another pretty girl. 

"Tifa?" Marlene inquired. 

"Yeah?" Tifa had to force her gaze away from Reno. He was buying Linda-Faye a drink. 

"My birthday is next week. What are you gonna get me?" Shit, she had forgotten.

"What do you want?" Tifa had no clue on what to get her. When Tifa had been 10, she wanted dolls, but what did kids today want? 

"Well, I would really, really like the new Pop-z-Dazie CD...." Tifa smiled and began to speak, but Linda-Faye had yelled.

"Uh! Shove off!" Tifa looked at Reno who had an phony innocent look on his face accompanied by a goofy smile. She shook her head and snickered. 

"Reno, leave poor Linda-Faye alone. She doesn't like you." Tifa teased. Marlene had walked behind the bar and mixed up some drinks for Tifa, Reno, and Linda-Faye. 

"I cannot believe you, Reno," Linda-Faye said and stormed out. Tifa looked worried.

"What did you say to her?" Reno pulled her to the side and told her simply what he had said so Marlene wouldn't hear. She was probably too busy anyway, hanging up some flowers on the wall, and pictures. The bar was getting much nicer everyday. 

"Reno, you don't know Liffie like I do. " Tifa took this moment as an opportunity, one she had been waiting for. "You've known me longer, so what about mine?" she asked only half jokingly. 

"Babe, yours are way better that Linda-Faye's..." Reno moved a little closer. Tifa had been standing against the back wall, and he was closing the gap between them. He-

"Tiff! Daddy's here!" Marlene called from the other side of the room, and the large wooden door flung open. Barret managed to squeeze through somehow. Reno backed off, and Tifa brushed past him. _Damnit, Barret, _she thought. 

"Heeeey. Where is-"

"He's not coming." Marelne answered her father before he finished. Cid was supposed to show up, but he was too busy tonight. It was their usual group, Barret, Cid, Tifa and Reno. Linda-Faye usually was there, too. And always little Marlene, who wasn't quite so little anymore. She was a lovely young lady. 

"'Lene, get ta servin' the paying customers." 

"Oops!" she said childishly, and went off to tend to the waiting people. 

"Reno, did you drive Marlene here tonight?" Barret asked. Tifa told him that she had driven her, hoping her story would check out. As much as Barret liked Reno nowadays, he still didn't trust him. Especially with his daughter in a car. 

"Aight," he said. 

Tifa smiled, knowing tonight would be special as she looked at Reno. _Perfect._


	2. You?

Chapter Two  
  


"I can't drive anymore." Cloud said to the wind. It was dark out now. There was still an endless stretch of road straight ahead of him, but he knew a town was nearby if he took the right turns. Why not stay at the inn one night, and head home in the morning. Afterall, he did bring enough money with him in the pocket of his blue jeans. 

_Almost there_ he told himself. When he finally drove into town, the night sky was dotted with stars. Most of the buildings were stores, or bars. The houses weren't on this side of town. 

Cloud made his way to the Inn. He checked in - for a stifling 500 gil - and retreated up into the room. The clock on the table read 10:00. It wasn't really that late. Didn't this town have some famous bar here, or something? 

He leaned back against the bed. It was a nice room of medium size, and the bed was clean looking and smelling. No wonder it was so expensive. If he could just-

He layed back on the bed and was asleep in a matter of minutes.

-----

Reno's lips pressed roughly against Tifa's, his hands running up and down her sides. She hadn't been surprised when he followed her into the storeroom to get more drinks, and she hadn't been surprised when he had shoved her against the wall, kicking some boxes out of his way. They had cleared enough space to continue what they were doing. 

He had first kissed her, amazed that he had dared to do so. It was gentle, just enough to get a taste, and now, as his kisses became harder and more desperate, he slid his hand up her shirt. It was now that Reno decided he was taking her home with him. "Babe, not here..." he whispered. 

"Alright." She grabbed some bottles. "Better look like I was doin'g my job." Tifa walked out first, Reno coming shortly after her. She didn't like the look they were getting from Barret...

-----

Restless. Cloud woke with a start. The dream...it was wrong. All of it.

_The crystal of the buildings of the City of the Ancients reflected the waters below and cast soft, magical shadows about. The sound of Aeris's boots echoed all around them as she walked next to Cloud. No, Aeris wasn't with him. It was Tifa that day, never Aeris..... But if Aeris was with him, who was it praying. Oh, god, Tifa. Cloud bounded across the stepping pillars to the alter. _

He didn't want to, but he liftefted his sword. She would never know what was coming. Tifa, no, Aeris_, called to him. "Cloud, no!" And he obeyed, dropping the sowrd and coming to his senceds. _

She looked up at him and smiled. Her chocolate coloured eyes lingered on his for that brief sexond.....

SWOOSH! _Sephiroth slammed his sword into her. Cloud screamed, and rushed to Aer- _Tifa- _and ctreid. "Tifa, no. You can't die...." But he knew. "I love you, Tifa Lockhart." _

And then he has woken up. He groped for the light beside him and turned it on. He needed a drink, and fast. He wished he had a jacket. The night air was too chilly to go wiith out one really, but it was just too bad. He practically lept down the stairs and out of that inn, finally getting to a large bar.

He didn't bother too look at the name of it, he just went in. 

Nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. 

-----

Tifa Lockhart stood open mouthed at the sight before her. Stepping through that door was the last person she ever thought she would have to see again. "Oh, gods," was all she said, and held Reno's side.

Cloud was speechless, but just choked out. "Tifa?" It was stupid sounding, but no one was listening. Barret couldn't stand that silence, so he spoke up.

"How are ya, Cloud? Long time no see." 

"I..I'm....Jesus..."

"You ain't Jesus." Barret said, almost chuckling at his retarded attempt at a joke. Cloud wondered where the hell he got a sense of humour from, but the thought didn't last long. Reno was here? The sight of Reno and Tifa was too much for Cloud to handle.

"I am leaving." Simple enough said. Not as simple done.

"You ain't goin' anywhere." Barret said. Cloud shook his head, looking everywhere but the people before him. 

"I-I-I don't belong here. I am leaving." Cloud pushed the door back open and ran out. He didn't look back until he heard footsteps from behind him. 

"Cloud..." It was Tifa's voice. 

"No." 

"Cloud, please?" 

"No."

"Cloud..." She rested a hand on his shoulder. "Don't go."

"Tifa, I said no already!" He yelled, shoving her away. The force of it knocked her off her feet. A few people passing buy gave a second look, but did nothing. It wasn't really uncommon, in this part of town, for a drunkard to beat his girlfriend. 

Tifa's eyes welled up with stinging tears. When she had fallen, she had gotten a rather large, deep scrape on her left arm and palms. "You...you..." She boiled with too much rage to finish what she had intended to say. More gravel was embittered into her palms when she pushed herself up off the ground.

Cloud stood there, looking like he had no empathy for what he had just done. Besides, what could he do? He watched mindlessly as Tifa ran back towards the safety of her bar. 


	3. Stellar

CHAPTER THREE

"Tifa, what happened?" Reno inquired as she ran into the bar, crying like a small child. He sat her down on one of the barstools that didn't wobble. 

"I-I'm fine," she insisted. "I fell, that's all." She glanced over to Marlene and Barret, hoping to have their approval. They didn't look like they believed her. 

"'Lene, go get sumthin' for Tiff, will ya?" Without a word, Marlene went and got a wet cloth, but came back with out bandages. 

"I don't know where they are, Daddy." Barret looked annoyed, and grabbed Marlene's hand, taking her off to get bandages. This left Reno and Tifa alone...again.

"Are you sure you're okay, Tifa?" He put an arm around her, so gently, that she almost cried for another reason. "Don't lie, I saw the whole thing. That bastard..." 

Tifa's mouth dropped. "You saw! Oh, Reno, please don't tell anyone. It was an accident...he didn't mean it," she begged and tried to convince him. 

"I'm gonna kick his ass."

"Reno..." Their lips met then, just for one smooth, reassuring kiss, and then Barret and Marlene came back. Marlene helped Tifa clean and bandage her wounds. 

"Why don't you go home, Tiff?" Barret suggested, and Tifa agreed. Reno offered to drive her home. They held hands and waved goodbye, walking out of the bar to his beat up, rusty old sports car. Reno was a gentleman and opened the door for his companion first. 

"So..." Reno began. Now that he had Tifa Lockhart in his car...

"Yeah, Reno?" she asked, tucking a disobedient strand of hair behind her ear.

"You don't really wanna be alone tonight, do you? I mean...you could come to my place...Or I could go to yours. Whichever you want." That hadn't come out as smooth as Reno had envisioned it. He was nervous, and the only girl he was nervous around was Tifa. 

"No thanks. I just want to be alone tonight." After that, Reno drove in silence. Tifaa looked out the dirty window at the familiar scenery. She wondered briefly if Cloud was staying in town that night when they passed Soft Spoken Inn. There was a light on in one of the upstairs rooms, and she could have sworn she saw the silhouette of a tall, spiky haired person. 

The ride was over in a matter of minutes. Reno decided to make a last attempt to get Tifa to go home with him. "You sure you don't wanna..." he said, putting one hand on her cheek and kissing her with a certain finesse, a mix of gentleness and passion that could only come from Reno. Her hands wove through his ever messy mane of fire red hair as she gazed into his aquamarine eyes. And in those twinkling eyes she saw something she couldn't quite grasp. Something new in the way he looked at her...and it scared her. 

"I...I should go." She blurted out. Reno heard the car door handle click, and he watched Tifa hop out onto her perfectly manicured lawn. He blew her a kiss, and drove off, feeling very disappointed. 

------

Cloud paced restlessly in his room. There would be no sleep for him now, not with all this guilt he felt. How could he have done that to Tifa? She was only trying to help. The voice trying to get him to come back in wasn't nagging after all, but friendly.

And Reno, with that smirk that seemed to say, "You looser, Cloud. Tifa is mine." Just moments ago, Cloud had taken his rage towards Reno out on the wall. But why would he even _care_? It wasn't like Cloud had wanted Tifa that much in the first place, right? That had to be the case. He had had a life time of opportunity, knowing Tifa loved him, but did nothing. _NOTHING._ It was all because of that stupid dream. Had to be. Why had he had it, anyway? Did Cloud _really _want Tifa now, after all this time? 

It was all to much to think about. Cloud would seek Tifa out in the morning and apologize. The answers would come then.

------

_"That Cloud Strife is trouble, Tifa. You stay away from him." _Ever since that time when she was little, and there was that accident in which Cloud was blamed, people said that to her. But poor Cloud was so lonely, and she didn't want to stay away. She remembered him looking up at her from outside her window, watching her brush her hair, or practice her piano. And the time at the well, where they shared their first kiss. Cloud made her that promise to save her if she ever needed to be saved. He was so sweet back then...under those stars... _No! _she scolded herself. _Don't start having feelings for him again! _There was only one thing that she could think to do. Call Reno.

She picked up her stylish red cordless, and began to dial his number. _555-3..._ Wait, what was it again? In all her nervousness she had forgotten. "Tifa, dial the stupid number already!" she yelled at herself, keeping her hand from shaking, and dialed. It rang once, then again. Then five more times, and she gulped. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she head the phone click and some shuffling before the voice came. 

"'Ello?" 

"R-reno, it's Tifa." Her own voice surprised her. It was so meek, and she made point to speak more strongly. "Reno, it's Tifa. I'm all alone her...and I've been doing some thinking... Can you come over?"

Picturing the smile on his face in her mind as he spoke, "Yes...yes, right away." she closed her eyes. 

"Bye, Reno. See ya soon." Click. In the fifteen minutes before Reno arrived, she managed to lock the doors upstairs, and turn off those lights. She turned the TV on, but kept the sound down. It didn't matter what station she had on, because she had popped her favourite CD into the player. It took a bit of thinking on how much to dim the lights, however. If they were too dim, it would be too romantic, but if they were too bright, it wouldn't be special enough. She finally settling on somewhere in-between. The doorbell rang, and she all but flung herself towards it. "Hi Reno," and it was that overly excited voice again. Reno attempted to move in for a quick hug, but Tifa had already retreated back to the sofa. 

"Oh, this is a good song." Reno mentioned, nodding towards the player. 

"You can turn it up, if you want." 

"Meet me in outer space, we could spend a night, watch the earth come up."

__

Tifa scowled. "Reno, please don't sing. You're ruining the song." She added with a giggle. "You sound like a cow." 

"A cow, now?" 

"You just rhymed."

"I'm known do that from time to time." Then, "Wait, what are we even talking about?" 

"I honestly don't know, Reno." After that they were silent for a few moments until Reno took a seat next to Tifa. Not too close, not to far away. 

"I remember when you came into the bar for the first time, Reno." Tifa said. "You just were like 'Oh, if it isn't Tifa Lockhart, the Heroine of the Planet." 

"Heh, I remember that." Reno smiled at her softly.

"And then you came in every night. I always wondered why."

"Because the drinks were good." Reno blushed, and looked down, trying to memorize the pattern of the fabric of the sofa. That wasn't the only reason he had kept coming back.

__

I've grown tired of that place;  
won't you come with me?  
We could start again.

Tifa began to wonder about her choice of music. "It's okay, Reno. I know you like me. Errr.." Suddenly, she was the one that was embarrassed. But at least they looked like tomatoes together. 

"Cloud hurt me." she blurted, without realizing it.

"I know."

"Would you ev-"

"Tifa, Cloud and I are both self-centered, arrogant jerks, but there's a difference between us. I'd never do _anything_ to hurt you. You're special, Tifa. I don't know why anyone would..." Reno looked up into her eyes. "You don't deserve that." 

__

How do you do it?  
Make me feel like I do.  
How do you do it?  
It's better than I ever knew

Reno hugged her. "It's late. You look really tired. Why don't you go to bed? I mean, I'll see you tomorrow, ya know?" 

"Yeah, Reno. I have to get up early anyway. To drive 'Lene to school." 

__

How do you do it?  
It's better than I ever knew.  
You are stellar.

She led him to the door. "See ya." 

Just as he was exiting, she thought she head him say something, very softly. Something she wasn't supposed to hear, but did.

"I love you too, Reno." she called out to him, closing the door before he would have a chance to respond. By the time she made it upstairs she was too tired to even change out of her work clothes, and just flopped onto the bed and fell asleep.


End file.
